Depericarping-machine.



R. G. SWANSON.

DEPERIGARPING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 11011.22, 1913.

Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

coLUMBlA PLANOGRAPH C0..WASHINGTON. D4 c.

R. G. SWANSON. DEPERIGARPING MACHINE.

l AFPLIOATION FILED NOV. 22, 1913. 1,085,068. Patented Ja11.20, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'UNTED SV ROBERT GAIR SWANSON, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND.

DEPERICARPING-IVIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, i914.

Application led November 22, 1913. Serial No. 802,493.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, ROBERT GAIR SWAN- soN, subject of George V, King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of 3l Regina road, Ealing, London, W., England, have invented certain new and useful improvements in vdepericarping-machines for the depericarping of drupaceous and other fruits for the production of vegetable Oils and applicable also to other purposes.

This invention chiefly relates to depericarping of drupaceous fruits such as palm nuts and olives whereby the whole of the pericarp or outer portion of the fruit is mechanically removed from the inner portion thereof. By this invention the method of treating the fruit is simplified.

In order that this invention may be easily understood and readily carried into effect l will proceed to describe the same with refer ence to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a longitudinal section, partly1 in elevation, of a depericarping machine constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a half section on line A-B of Fig. l and half end elevation of the said machine. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the cylinder looking from the delivery end of the machine and illustrates a cage hereinafter referred to for holding the knives and illustrates also a set of knives arranged in the cage.

Referring to E ig. l of the drawings, iu carrying out this invention there is provided a cooking pan a, suitably jacketed to retain the heat of the steam used for cook ing the fruit or vegetable with which the pan is charged. The pan may be fed by hand, for which purpose ladders o, c, are provided fo-r the attendants to pass to and from a platform CZ, from which latter the material is fed into the pan. The fruit or vegetables are suitably agitated as by powerdriven agitators of which the driving gear is shown at a. The cooked fruit or vegetables are carried by a spiral screw conveyer e or by any other suitable means to the exit, indicated at f, of the pan from whence it drops into a hopper g and is then carried into the cylinder 71, by the blades j, ,7' fitted on the hollow shaft j which is rotated in the manner hereinafter described. The cylinder is supported at its ends in suitable bearings and at its middle by an additional bearing c. It is driven from a shaft l through a section, as illustrated in the figures, present'- ing sharpened edges n. They are arranged longitudinally of the cylinder and are supported in the following manner. t Extending lengthwise of the cylinder are four angleiron bars 0 and fixed between said angle? iron bars 0 are four bars 77 of arcuate which together make up the circle of the cylinder and which, along with the angle-iron bars, constitute what is conveniently termed a cage. Each of the arc-bars y? has a series of V-shaped recesses 7) formed in it, the formation of the recesses being such that,

when the knives are bedded in them, one

edge n of the knives projects in the manner clearly shown at the upper part of Eig. 3. The ends of the knives are turned down so as to leave projecting pins n2. These pins are mounted in plates which are fitted into sunk or recessed portions of the arc-bars 7) whereto they are fixed by set-screws or by other suitable means.

Referring again to Fig. l of the drawings, the hollow shaft j is independent of and is arranged to revolve in the opposite direction to the cylinder by means of a pinion Z2 fixed on the shaft Z, intermediate toothed wheels g fixed on a stationary spindle, and toothed wheel f fixed on the hollow shaft j. Steam is admitted into the hollow shaft through a pipe js and issues into the cylinder through perforations jt, jf, provided in the hollow shaft. The latter is also furnished with beaters y', f5, set at such an angle as to convey the fruit longitudinally against the knives of the cylinder entirely separating the pericarp or outer portion of the fruit from the inner portion or nut., both the latter and any pericarp there may be in the cylinder then passing through an aperture at the delivery end of the cylinder for mechanical separation.

As the cylinder rotates, it tends to carry the fruit up with it on the ascending side until the action of gravity causes it to reverse its movement and thus the knives n throughout the entire circumference of the cylinder successively exert a cutting action to remove the pulp from the stones or seeds', the fruit being gradually moved endwise of the cylinder by the inclination of the blades or stirrers which also stir or agitate the fruit to assist in causing fresh portions thereof to be subjected to the lcutting act-ion of the knives.

The oil, etc., passing between the knives falls into a jacketed conveyer r driven by chain gearing s from the shaft j', guards being provided for preventing any oil Yetc. passing outside the conveyer.

There may, if desired, be more than one cylinder.

Any suitable fruit may be treated as above described for the production of vege tablel oils and other purposes.

I claim:

l. In a machine for depericarping drupaceous and ot-her fruits, the-combination of a hollenT perforated shaft, means for supporting and means for rotating said shaft, i

a cylinder arranged around said shaft consisting of a plurality of triangular cutters supported by the interior periphery of the cylinder and having cutting edges projecting inwardly, means for removably mounting said cutters in said cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder, means for conducting the fruit or the like to said shaft, blades upon saidshaft for propelling the fruit or the like into said cylinder, and beaters upon said shaft for agitating and propelling the fruit or the like through said cylinder.

2. In combination in a fruit depericarping machine, a cylinder having a plurality of cutters triangular inicross sec-tion, means for supporting saidcutters comprising bars eX- ytending 'longitudinally of the machine, arcu ate barslixed between, said first-mentioned bars and provided with angular recesses, saidcutters'fitted to said recesses so as to lextend inwardly and having one edge pro- "ROBERT GAIR SVANSON.

IVitnesses H. T. P. Gian, H. D. JAMisoN.

`Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

